Victor Airways vs Jet Routes: What Sim Pilots Should Know
When you open NG ROUTE, one of the first choices is airway level: LOW (V/B/L) or HIGH (J/Q/M/N/T/U). That toggle changes the entire shape of your route. Understanding why helps you pick the right option and interpret the ICAO route string the planner produces.
What is a Victor airway?
In North America, low-altitude IFR routes are often called Victor airways and identified with a V prefix — for example V16 or V393. They generally exist between roughly 1,200 feet above ground level and FL180, though usable altitudes depend on terrain and airspace.
Elsewhere, similar low-level structured routes use different letter prefixes. NG ROUTE groups these as LOW airways alongside Victor routes and regional L or B airways where they appear in the navigation database.
Regional airlines, turboprops, business jets on short hops, and training flights often remain on this network instead of climbing into upper jet structure.
What are jet airways?
Above the transition level, routes are published as jet airways with identifiers starting with letters like J, Q, M, N, T, or U depending on region. These connect major fixes and keep high-speed traffic on predictable paths with radar coverage and controlled separation.
When you select HIGH in NG ROUTE, the pathfinder prefers this upper structure. A London–Frankfurt leg might ride J65 or similar jet segments rather than weaving through Victor routes designed for slower traffic at lower altitudes.
Why the split at FL245?
FL245 (24,500 feet) is a practical dividing line in many flight planning tools. Below it, aircraft may still be on transitional climb or descent profiles; above it, cruise Mach and RVSM spacing dominate.
NG ROUTE uses the toggle to load the correct subset of the AIRAC navigation graph. Feeding low-level Victor data into a long-haul jet plan would produce unrealistic zigzags. Forcing a turboprop through jet-only segments might create impossible altitude assignments.
Direct segments (DCT) still appear on both levels
Even on published airways, you will see DCT in the route string. That means a direct great-circle or straight segment between two fixes where no single airway connects them — often near airports when joining or leaving the airway system.
NG ROUTE minimizes DCT usage on purpose. Real-world filing prefers airways for separation and predictability. A route that looks slightly longer on the map but follows airways is usually more faithful than a straight line drawn through restricted or mountainous areas.
Practical selection guide
| Your flight | NG ROUTE setting |
|---|---|
| Cessna 172 IFR training hop | LOW |
| ATR 72 regional sector | LOW (or HIGH if cruising above FL245) |
| A320 / 737 domestic | HIGH |
| Wide-body transcontinental | HIGH |
Reading the route string
An example HIGH-level string might read:
LGAV DCT ABLON J65 KOPAV T22 DETRA L888 LFPG
Each token is either an airway identifier or a fix name. The nav log expands this into leg distances so you can brief waypoint-by-waypoint in your FMS or MCDU.
Simulation tip
If your aircraft add-on uses an outdated AIRAC cycle, some fixes may show as not found when you load the plan. Skip missing waypoints and continue the sequence — most FMS units will connect recognized fixes directly. Consider a Navigraph subscription for X-Plane if you fly frequently with current data.
Airway structures change with each AIRAC cycle. NG ROUTE uses periodic navdata updates; always verify critical fixes if you are practicing procedure-heavy arrivals.